Story Homes revives Garstang project

With partner Jones Homes, the developer is looking to enact a consent for 270 homes off the A6 after tweaking the highways element of its plans.

Outline plans for the project, which also includes 11.5 acres of employment space, 4,000 sq ft of convenience retail and a coffee shop, was approved in 2017 following a successful appeal against refusal in 2014.

However, that consent decreed that the new pedestrian crossing of the A6 necessitated by this scale of development would be via an underpass.

The developers, working with transport consultant Eddisons, are now seeking a variation of this condition, with a signalised crossing proposed instead, as it heads towards a reserved matters application.

Since being lodged last week, opposition to this change has started to mount, with Nateby Parish Council among those filing objections. Parish clerk Melanie Harben said that the switch to a road crossing “devalues the original concept” and would raise safety concerns.

As noted in the planning inspector’s 2017 decision, the illustrative site plans included a number of footway/cycle paths through the site, including along an old railway line running underneath the A6, which would be converted to a path linking the site to amenities in Garstang.

A technical note submitted by Eddisons said that preliminary consideration had made it clear there were “severe technical constraints” however, suggesting instead a crossing so that people can cross safely to Garstang.

This will involve pedestrians walking south from the site onto Longmoor Lane and then crossing the A6 before travelling east onto Moss Lane towards the town centre.

The principle of this was discussed with the local highway authority, Lancashire County Council, which considered the proposed crossing location acceptable in principle, requesting that a formal design and a speed survey be carried out: these have been provided.

The development site is known as land to the west of the A6 (Preston Lancaster New Road), and is bound by Nateby Crossing Lane and Croston Barn Lane.